Seeking to be anxious about the Lord's things (1 Co. 7:34)

She makes me look bad

I’ve had this blog post idea for over two months now; I’m certain she’d never procrastinate like that. I’ll have to concede that if she does actually make me look bad, I’m partly responsible. ‘She’ is the Proverbs 31 woman.

Thinking about it, I’ve always sort of ignored the Prov 31 woman. I read the verses, but wrote her off as an unattainable ideal, and didn’t bother myself with trying to find the principles that would apply to my life. Thankfully, someone else did just that.

The four characteristics of her life that can be transposed into the 21st century are:

She fears the Lord (v 30) and lives a God-centred life. This is the quality that holds up the rest.

She gives her life away (v12, v15, v18) and is others-centred. She is thus carrying out the two greatest commandments, to love God and to love others.

She is capable (v 13, v14). She has cultivated skills through experience and education

She is influential (v 28). She has a godly influence on her family, which in turn is an asset to her husband in the community (v 23)

Finally, I was relieved to learn that this isn’t a description of a typical day in her life, but more of the highlights of her life. (It would surely take extraordinary strength to accomplish all that in a day: feeding a household, buying land, working with distaff and spindle, making clothing for her family and for sale…) That goes a long way in taking off the pressure!